Expenditure per head on the Fire and Rescue Service
How the figure is calculated:
England total net current expenditure on the Fire and Rescue Service, divided by the mid-year population estimate for England.
Why is this indicator in the business plan?
This demonstrates the cost per head of providing the Fire and Rescue Service and will indicate over time whether the cost is going up or down. This indicator is of total revenue expenditure because the funding from the Department cannot be disaggregated from the total Fire and Rescue funding, which also includes locally raised funds, such as council tax.
How often is it updated?
Annually. A provisional figure will initially be released followed by a revised final outturn figure approximately three months later.
Where does the data come from?
The indicator is derived from two sources:
The total expenditure figure is sourced from revenue summary returns to DCLG. Published figures are at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing.
The ONS population estimates that are used to derive a per head estimate are available at http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Population.
What area does the headline figure cover?
England.
Are further breakdowns of the data available?
Yes, can be split by Fire and Rescue Authority.
What does a change in this indicator show?
A decreasing figure will indicate that expenditure on the Fire and Rescue Service is falling, per head of population. For 2011-12, total expenditure also fell, while the population of England rose.
Time Lag
Provisional figures published within five months of end of the reporting period, with final figures being published within eight months of end of the reporting period.
Next available update
August 2014 - Provisional figure for 2013-14
Type of Data
National Statistics.
Robustness and data limitations
The expenditure figures are subjected to rigorous pre-defined validation tests both within the relevant form itself, while the form is being completed by the authority, and also as the data are received and stored. Population figures are the definitive mid-year estimates published by ONS.
Links to Further Information
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing
Contact Details
CorporatePerformance@communities.gsi.gov.uk
